Girl Excluded
by MsBlackOut
Summary: Marinette finds herself on the outer with her classmates when Lila integrates herself into the fold, manipulating those around her to shun the dark-haired girl. Feeling utterly alone, Marinette's only reprieve is being Ladybug. Are her friendships with Tikki and Chat Noir enough? Or will the run in with the latest akuma open the eyes of her crush? (One Shot)


_Dear Reader,_

 _I was inspired to write the following after seeing the teaser for Season 3. Everything here is my imagining of the possible situation Marinette may find herself in with her friends. I suspect Lila is about to take on the role of 'mean girl' since Chloe is on the way to redeeming herself. If I manage to luck out in similarity to the show, I say "Oops."_

 _At the moment I'm undertaking a short story course and I'm trying to refine my writing skills. All feedback is most appreciated, as one can't improve without guidance. So, it's likely you'll see more short stories of mine posted in the near future. My aim is for 1,000 word short stories, but I've almost doubled it in this case. Oh well, here's to improving. (Please note, I managed to pump this out in a couple of hours, including proofing – it won't be perfect). Criticise away!_

 **FYI... I've taken onboard your suggestions so far and expanded on the final scene with Adrien (and now hit over 2,000 words). Tell me what you think of the change. Cheers :)**

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A perpetual frown lingered on Marinette Dupain-Cheng's face. School, which had once been a thriving place for friendship had turned sour. Even old taunts from Chloe Bourgeois seemed pitiful in the wake of the talented liar known as Lila Rossi. Somehow the latter girl had managed to twist her peers' views of Marinette.

Marinette had no idea what exactly had been said but the glares and sneers made it clear that she was no longer welcome. What made it worse was the loss of her inner sanctum of friends. The most hurtful blow was the abandonment from Alya. As her best friend, Marinette had hoped she would see through the bullcrap and realise Lila was spouting utter rubbish. A close second was Adrien. The filthy looks he'd thrown her were heartbreaking to the point that she no longer crushed on him.

Her misery had evoked more than one akuma, yet Marinette had managed to perk up enough to avoid getting akumatised. Being Ladybug was what kept her going, and it felt like Tikki and Chat Noir were her only remaining friends. What made it truly awful was when she needed to call upon Rena Rouge, Carapace or Queen Bee, they all treated her with the kindness she longed for outside the mask and it cut her deep. It had gotten to the point where Marinette treasured the weekends, patrols and while it sounded awful, even akuma attacks.

Sitting solo at the back of the classroom, Marinette had an open view of her fellow classmates. She was the only one at a desk alone. The others smiled and chatted with each other. Oh, and Lila put her paws all over Adrien at every opportunity. Initially he had recoiled from her touch, but the more she did it, the more he seemed to accept it. The scene used to evoke a gnashing of teeth and throaty growl from Marinette, now though she stared at them numbly.

Naturally, Lila turned her gaze on Marinette and leant close to Adrien to whisper something in his ear. The model flinched back, glancing at Marinette to scowl. Sad blue eyes took in his expression while the crack in her hardened heart split wider. Whatever slim hope she'd had of winning over Adrien died.

Those hard green eyes turned away and Marinette dropped her head to stare blankly at her tablet. One bonus of having no friends was that her school work was getting done in record time and her grades had improved. Letting out a sigh, the girl scrawled her stylus across the screen absently.

Time crawled by until a reprieve presented itself in the form of an akuma. The tainted butterfly fluttered its way along the perimeter of the building. Marinette watched as it flew passed the windows but she didn't bother rushing out to cleanse it. In the past, she would have found some excuse to leave so she could hunt down the akuma before it corrupted someone. Now, she simply studied it with indifference.

Yet she wasn't the only one who noticed it. Adrien shot to his feet pointing out the window. "Akuma!" he shouted in alarm.

The reaction was immediate. Students rose from their seats in panic as the teacher did her best to calm the class. Marinette glanced down at her purse to Tikki who waved at her with urgency. The girl shrugged and began packing her stuff into her bag. If she even attempted a hasty exit she'd be ridiculed for her lame excuses. Instead she rested her elbow on the desk and propped her chin against the heel of her hand.

Adrien was frantic in his need to leave, and eventually the teacher granted him his wish. Alya and Lila were next in line, the former was eager to capture the latest akuma fight for her blog. As for the latter, Lila probably wanted to pursue Adrien and hide in a broom closet to make out with him.

Stifling a yawn, Marinette was the last to shuffle out of the classroom. On the roof, Chat Noir was busy fending off the brightly coloured akuma with his staff. Her partner's fighting style had improved greatly over the last few months and she wasn't fazed at leaving him temporarily on his own.

As other students screamed and pointed, the dark-haired girl weaved her way beyond the mob and out of the school. Heading for home, Marinette ducked into the narrow alcove towards the back of the building. With a smile at Tikki, she called upon her transformation and launched to the roof, sweeping in behind the akuma victim to kick his feet from under him. This one was dressed like a harlequin, mottled with red and black diamonds on his outfit. "So, who are you?" she asked in a bored tone.

"I am the Weeping Jester."

"Of course you are," she said drily as she glanced at her glove covered nails. As the akuma scrabbled to his feet she pulled her yoyo from her hip.

Chat's voice caught her attention. "We could catch him right now."

Ladybug's tone was dull. "Where's the fun in that?"

Her partner looked horrified. "His touch induces complete misery. We can't let him get away."

That was something they should stop, yet Ladybug's gaze drifted to her classmates below. Part of her was tempted to shove the Weeping Jester off the roof and into the school, allowing him to dish out some of his power on those that had hurt her. But it wasn't her style. There was a reason why she'd been chosen to be Ladybug, it was because of her kindness and courage.

Realising Chat Noir was right, Ladybug tossed her yoyo in the air and called for her lucky charm. As she waited for the item to fall into her hands, Weeping Jester slapped his hand on her back as Chat Noir shouted a warning and extended his baton to knock the akuma away.

Ladybug caught a pair of tailor's scissors and stared at them thoughtfully. A wash of emotion crashed over her but it wasn't any worse than what she was used to. The misery of her day-to-day existence gave her the strength to push passed the akuma's power. Chat Noir was at her side, his staff extended and held diagonally in a protective gesture. Worried feline eyes flicked her way. "Are you alright?"

She shrugged, "No worse than usual."

Chat Noir cocked a masked eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Given the last couple of months, I'm miserable most of the time."

Her partner opened his mouth to comment but Ladybug was busy assessing the situation, working out what she needed to do with the scissors. The Weeping Jester was glancing between his hands and her, seemingly shocked at her lack of reaction. "You should be crying in despair," he hissed.

"Meh," she muttered as she grabbed the end of his oversized tie and snipped it in half. As expected, the tainted butterfly emerged and Ladybug quickly cleansed it. Turning to face Chat Noir, she glanced at the scissors. "Seems kind of wrong to throw these in the air. Oh well," with that she did and shouted, "Miraculous Ladybug!"

No sooner were the magical bugs swarming through the air than Ladybug found herself drawn into a fierce hug from her partner. The side of his head pressed against hers and he whispered, "Whatever is getting you down, remember you have me and I'm really good at giving hugs."

Ladybug felt the tug of an appreciative smile. "I know, Chat. Plus, you're my best friend." Leaning back, she caught his face between her hands and gazed into his eyes, feeling a sense of contentment she'd been lacking for so long.

Those feline eyes wandered over her face with uncertainty, as if he were considering his chances of sneaking a kiss. For once, she began contemplating what it would be like to smooch her partner. But the chirp of her earrings broke the spell. Ladybug tenderly stroked her partner's cheeks with her thumbs. "I've got to get going, but thanks for making me feel less alone."

Chat Noir's brow furrowed in confusion. "Alone?"

"Yeah, the people I once considered friends don't want to talk to me anymore. It's not fun, but it means I look forward to seeing you much more than I ever used to." She stifled a giggle at the way Chat Noir's chest puffed out at her statement, yet there was something amiss in his eyes.

"Until next time, milady." He said with a kiss to her hand as they parted ways.

Much to Ladybug's dismay, class was far from over. Returning to her hiding place, she transformed back into Marinette and meandered her way back to school. She trudged through the school yard and up the stairs, ignoring those around her, not wanting to draw attention. When she bumped into someone's shoulder she muttered an apology and moved on, not bothering to look up to see who it was that she'd brushed up against. However, that somebody was Adrien and he paused to consider her while she hustled to the rear of the classroom.

With her eyes on her task, Marinette didn't notice the model's internal dilemma as he stood at the door of the classroom. She missed his eyes darting back and forth between her desk and his. She remained oblivious until he sat beside her. A frown set upon her face as she turned to see who was positioned in the seat next to her. Much to her dismay her heart began to pound at Adrien's proximity. Marinette was hesitant to meet his gaze but when she did surprise struck her. His expression was sheepish as he cleared his throat. "Um, hi."

"Hi," she said, wondering if it came out more like a question.

Adrien dipped his head shyly then rubbed at his nape. "I uh, realised I haven't been much of a friend lately." Marinette's eyebrows crept towards her hairline as he continued. "Lila said some things about you and I-" he shook his head as if needing to reshuffle his thoughts. A look of unease settled on his face. "Did you ever use me to gain a connection to my father?"

"What!?" Marinette snapped. "Why on earth would I do that?"

The model's fingers gripped the edge of the table as he looked away. "I know you have an interest in the fashion industry. It was suggested to me that you only wanted to be my friend because of what I could do to aid your future career."

It took everything she had not to shoot to her feet and spit out a tirade. Instead, Marinette glared at him. "Are you forgetting my first impression of you? I thought you were a snob like Chloe and wanted nothing to do with you. I changed my mind when you apologised about the gum. It was then that I decided you were someone worth getting to know."

Green eyes locked with blue. Adrien ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "My father is always telling me I'm too trusting. When Lila began saying the same thing I started to believe it. To believe that things were not as they seem, and that people were not as open and kind as I thought they were. I should have listened to my own intuition. What I'm trying to say is that I'm sorry, I haven't been around for you the way you've always been there for me. I've been a lousy friend."

Marinette's brows pulled together as she absorbed his words, wondering what prompted his change of heart. She found herself asking him out loud, "What brought this on?"

"The akuma. It made me think about… well, how easy it is to feel alone. When you bumped into me I realised that you've become distant and isolated. I'm pretty sure I know why," he said as he shot a hard look at Lila who was glowering at them from the front desk. "I could chalk it up to being socially inept but I know when things feel wrong. Sitting here with you, now that feels right. Do you mind? Can I sit with you?"

The corner of her mouth lifted, "Sure, that'd be nice."

A smile that outshone his photoshoots beamed at Marinette as Adrien unzipped his bag. The warmth of his expression gave her hope that maybe school life was about to improve. That once again, she had a true friend outside of the mask.

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 **As always, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed the ride. The box below is longing for some attention, please type something there to keep it happy ;)**

 **Thanks for your support. Reviews, follows and favourites are much appreciated.**


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